Nothing’s too much trouble at Kirkwood

Pat Armitage suffers from a heart condition which affects her breathing and causes other symptoms that affect her ability to lead an active life. On the advice of her heart failure specialist, she was referred to Kirkwood and was admitted to our In-Patient Unit earlier this year.

85-year-old Pat was admitted to Kirkwood’s In-Patient Unit back in March, and was cared for by our team for three weeks during her stay.

In June, a second admission was recommended to help get her breathing under control and support her with her medication.

During her second stay, Pat spoke to us about her experience of the care she received.

“It really is a wonderful place. I never feel worried or scared about coming back again." said Pat.

“Apart from talking to me about my condition in a calm yet sensitive manner, they always find time to chat about everyday matters and what’s going on in the world, which immediately puts me at ease.

“And I can’t speak highly enough about their chef Matthew and his superb culinary skills. Being a vegetarian, he has always met my dietary requirements 100%, which is remarkable when you consider he also has the special needs of other patients to cater for too.”

Pat likes to keep active at home, so her independence means a lot to her. Although she has been able to go home again, our Support & Therapy team are continuing to support her. She now hopes to attend a regular exercise class.

Like many of our patients, Pat has fallen in love with our beautiful gardens. During her first visit, the staff positioned her bed by the window, where she was able to see the first signs of spring stirring amongst the flower beds and the leaves of the Beech tree shimmering through the night.

“It is such a beautiful garden. One day I was sitting outside my room on the balcony and a nurse kindly offered to take me on a tour in my wheelchair which was such a lovely gesture.”

The open bay area where Pat has spent her time during both admissions, has allowed her to socialise with other patients too.

“You make friends when you are here and feel close to one another, as you’ve all got something in common.”

On Pat’s most recent admission, she was in a bed opposite the one she had had the first time. She really wanted to be able to see the views of the garden again, so the Kirkwood team helped to make sure that Pat could once again have that bed and the wonderful view that went with it.